Fire-box.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

L. GREAVEN.

FIRE BOX.

APPLIGATION IILBD FEB. 19. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

w w w M 3%??? O 0 "NrTEn STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

FIRE- BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 731,449, dated June 23, 1903. Application fil d February 19, 1902. Serial No. 9 1,742. (No model.) 7

T0 (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS GREAVEN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Puebla, in the State of Puebla and Republic of'Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Boxes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a.specification. r

This invention has reference to the provision of a novel construction of fire-box which will without sacrifice of any strength make it possible to eliminate the use of stay-bolts and at the same time the danger and expense thereof and also to provide an increased heat ing-surface over a stayed fire-box of equivalent dimensions. 7

Another object of this invention is the pro vision of an improved form of crown-sheet and fire-box construction whereby greater strength of the crownsheet is secured than is possible with crown-sheets suspended by radial stay-bolts or suspended from crownbars the ends of which rest on the fire-box sheet.

Another object accomplished by this inven tion is the provision of a construction which can be cleaned and from which the scale can be removed much more readily than it can be removed from the present form of stayed firebox.

Another object of this invention is the pro Vision of a construction of fire'box in which absolute freedom of expansion will be provided for, whereby are obviated any strains such as are incident to the uneven contraction and expansion in the present form of construction.

.The above, as well as such other objects as may. hereinafter appear, I attain by means of aconstruction which I have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section showing a portion of a boiler having my improved firebox applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a half-sectional view taken on theline 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a half transverse sectional View through the fire-box looking in the direction of the fluesheet. Fig. 4 is a half transverse sectionalview of the fire-box looking in the directionof the door. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail show- Asshown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4,

ing the connection employed by me between the upper portion of the fire-box shell and the side covering-plates. Fig. 6 is a detail showing a suggested modification of the foundation-ring which I employ, and Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the disposition of the crownbars with reference to the crown-sheet and upper portion of the shell.

In carrying out my invention I provide, first, a crown-sheet 8, which is made in one piece with the upper part 9 of the fire-box shell, so as to secure greater strength, and to which I secure the side covering-plates 10 by means of suitable bolt connections 11 engaging oval holes 12 in the side covering-plates 10, whereby to permit of a limited range of movement between the covering-plates 10 and the part 9, due to the expansion and contraction under the action of heat.

At-the lower portion of the fire-box I provide a foundation-ring 13, which is hollow, as shown, and connected with the crown-sheet 8 by means ofa series of vertical tubes 14,which may be threaded into the crown-sheet and expanded in the foundation-ring or secured in any other suitable manner at the ends and which serve to cause a circulation of water around the outside of the fire ina manner which will be apparent without further description. The door 15 is provided with a hollow door-frame 16, into which the tubes above and below the door are secured in like manner. Atthe rear end of the lower side of the main shell of the boiler there is provided a throat-plate 17, which afifords a socket for the upper ends of the tubes which constitute the front side of the fire-box.

From the above it appears that in carrying out my invention I provide a crown-sheet and a foundation-ring and a seriesof vertically-disposed tubesconnect-ing the crownsheet and foundation-ring, said tubes being arranged all around the fire-box, andbetween the said vertically-disposed tubes and the covering-plate I insert fire-brick or asbestos slab 18, which can be inserted in any suitable manner and which form a refractory wall, serving to help confine the heat and at the same time protect the covering-plate.

the foundation-ringwhich I employ is all in one piece, and the tubes are inserted therein through openings closed by plugs 19 after the tubes are put in place. If desired,the foundationring can be made of wrought-iron and with an open under side, as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the lower side will be closed by means of a bottom plate 20, secured by bolts 21 or other suitable fastening devices, such as rivets or studs. In the arrangement shown in this figure the removal of the bottom plate 20 permits ready access to the interior of the whole of the foundation-ring and facilitates the cleaning thereof,

By referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that, as stated, I form the crown-sheet 8 and the upper portion 9 of the shell of the fire-boxin one piece, thus avoiding any joints at the point where the crown-bar 22 rests and making it possible to socket the crown-bar securely in the corner at 23, and thus secure a more stable support for the crownsheet,which is secured to the crown-bar bythe usual form of supporting-bolt 24 or in any other convenient manner. a

For fire-boxes which are narrow between the frames and wider at the top the vertical tubes at the side can be bent to the curve of the side sheet, expanded in the crown-sheet, and beaded in the hollow foundation-ring, thus making it possible to secure them in place without the necessity for rotating them, as would be required if they were threaded.

It is obvious that my improved form of firebox is capable of adaptation to any existing locomotive-boiler by the mere provision of suitable connections at the end, particularly at the throat-sheet, and it is also obvious that the presence of the water-tubes, coupled with the refractory wall, makes the improvement particularly useful in the burning of fuel-oil. It is also obvious that the vertical tubes in my construction practically take the place of the water-space of the ordinary form of stayed fire-box and make a construction strong and efficient without having at the same time the disadvantages due to the use of the fire-box stays. It is also obvious that by the use of the vertical tubes shown in the annexed drawing a larger amount of radiating-surface is secured on the inside of the fire-box wall than would be the case where the walls were plain or flat, as is the case with the ordinary construction of fire-box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improvement in fire-box construction comprising a crown-sheet, a hollow foundation-ring arranged around a grate, and a series of vertically-disposed tubes forming a fire-box, supporting said crown-sheet with the said foundation-ring and connecting the same, substantially as described.

2. An improvement in fire-box construction comprising the combination with a crownsheet, a hollow foundation-ring, a grate supported by said ring and throat-plate, of a plurality of vertically-disposed tubes connecting said foundation-ring, said throat-plate, and said crown-sheet and supporting the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-box construction, the combination with a hollow door-frame, of verticallydisposed tubes connecting said hollow doorframe, an annular foundation-ring, connected with said hollow door-frame by some of said vertically-disposed tubes, and a crownsheet connected with some of said verticallydisposed tubes, and with said hollow door frame, substantially as described.

4. A fire-box formed of tubes, having a grate, a hollow foundation-ring surrounding the grate, a crown-sheet, said tubes placed in series encompassing the fireplace and supporting the crown-sheet, substantially as described.

5. An improvement in fire-box construction comprising an upper shell part, aside covering -plate, and an expansion connection between said two parts, substantially as described.

6. A fire-box comprising a hollow foundation-ring, a grate supported thereby,'a series of tubes rising from said ring and supporting a crown-sheet and forming the sides of the fire-box, a refractory lining outside and supported by said tubes and a sheath outside the lining and supported by the foundation-ring and the crown-sheet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LoU Is GREAVEN.

In presence of PHILIP J. FINNEGAN, PAUL SYNNESTVEDT. 

